So after a predictably ordinary night's sleep (I remember you 3am, 4:30am, 5 am etc) I am off to work this morning. I have remembered to put on my watch. I am wearing make up. I am wearing a new skirt in an effort to be colourful and happy about the whole experience. I am about to prepare some lunch to take with me, because I think that's what I used to do in the dim distant past of a month ago. Now, I just have to remember what I actually do when I get there and hope to heck that nobody bombards me with a heap of unpleasant tasks.
It was like I had never been out of the car which was good. I am just a little more cautious than usual with braking into corners and at the lights. In my mother's words I have had to stop my typical "zooming" just because I am little tentative with the seatbelt leaning on my stomach. Still, there were no ill effects. I drove around and about the neighbourhood, to Foodworks, and to my parents' house and back. It was all very exciting.
In less exciting news I only have two more days until I go back to work. But in more exciting news, when I do go back to work there is only a week and half until the term is finished. This is good. Some marking of essays will await me, and a STEPS Completion Ceremony on October 11th and then I am done, done, done with teaching for some time. Let's say....MARCH.
I'm now very good at walking, going for walks of about 15 minutes a day plus extra walking round the shops, at the beach, round the house and yard etc. My panadol intake has decreased markedly. I can sleep on either side of myself which is lovely and amazing and will never be taken for granted EVER AGAIN.
I will be starting to drive again either tomorrow or Monday so I will be able to take myself places. Again, this will never ever be taken for granted.
I have spent the week watching the following:
Firstly, Shine a Light on The Rolling Stones. I wanted less live concert footage and more archival footage. Still, I had to be impressed with Mick Jagger's stamina and energy. And I also had to be impressed with Keith Richards. Just because, you know, he was not only upright, but could actually play the guitar.
I then rewatched No Direction Home, perhaps the finest musical documentary I have seen. Bob Dylan is fascinating, but what is more interesting is the era of social and political upheaval within which Dylan is situated. Here is the song that struck me the most:
Then I bought myself the Black Books complete series on DVD. Because at the moment I'm quite into buying myself presents. I have made it through Series 1 and 2. I am saving up 3 for tomorrow. Here is my favourite moment so far:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPh53BCJQKE
(embedding is disabled but it is well worth going to YouTube for a look)
I also finished rewatching Series 1 of Beautiful People which I adore and am about to start Series 2 this evening.
Apart from that there has been a number of outings for coffee and lunch, my mother's birthday today, and a fair bit of sitting on the lounge wasting time on facebook and the like.
I am sitting at home. My home. On my comfy lounge. With my cat who has clearly missed me. Evidence of this is his attention seeking behaviour and desire to sit as close to me as he possibly can. I am enjoying the view of my back garden from my large (newly cleaned) windows and listening to music. Oh, and I am also writing a blog post. I have had my first cup of vanilla green tea since August 23. It was lovely. And I have just been visited by a friend from choir who brought a pretty arrangement of flowers which I have had to banish to the bedroom away from the flower destroying cat. You'll have to take my word for it that they are nice as I forgot my iPhone cable to take photos. I am also revelling in my newly painted green front door and my proper doorbell. It's brass. I would give you photos of them as well but see the sentence above about the iPhone. Perhaps later.
Later on another friend is going to visit which will be delightful. And then I plan to watch some dvds that have been waiting on my shelf for many a month. It will either be the Scorsese documentary on the Rolling Stones or my series on American comedy Make Em Laugh. Both of them are yet to lose their plastic wrapping so you will understand it's a big moment.
As far as operation recuperation goes things have moved ahead in leaps and bounds since my last post. Well perhaps not leaps and bounds, but steady steps at a strolling kind of pace. I have been going for a walk with my Mother every afternoon. We now make it about ten minutes or so which is good. I have also been grocery shopping, to Bunnings, to the beach, out to lunch, out to breakfast and to the doctor (not necessarily in that order). I can lean down and pick things off the floor if I need to. I can make my own cups of tea and light meals and snacks. I can sleep on my left side. I look forward to the day when my belly button stops hurting when I lie on my right side. It's okay for a short time but then something starts to pull. Because the big thing they took out was on my right side sometimes it feels like I am hollow there. I don't go back to work until September 22 so am looking forward to keeping on keeping feeling better every day. The best thing about this is that when I do go back there is only a week and half of term to go and then I am done, except for marking some essays. After that it's research research research until March. Bliss.
The great spring clean/operation recuperation of 2010 continues. I am doing very little but my parents are working like trojans. Their mission in life, which it seems they have chosen to accept, is to clean every inch of my house whether it needs it or not. And this morning I am sitting quietly waiting for a man to arrive to clean my windows and wooden blinds. My contribution has been the sitting down jobs, mainly involving cleaning out my music cupboard which was an unmitigated disaster. I could never find anything. While going through the music on Monday I found the following lovely sheet music from days of yore.
"Oh", they said, "you'll be able to to watch so many movies and read so many books! It will be just lovely".
Truth be told I didn't much feel like doing either of these things until earlier this week. It started on Monday night with GO playing Hairspray. In my humble opinion this might well be John Travolta's greatest performance ever. I could watch the final musical number many many more times and still not be sick of it.
Tuesday my mother and I watched Fiddler on the Roof. This is one of my all time favourite musicals as well. Topol is still amazing in the lead role, and I love the fact that there is no happy ending. And since I was very young I adored the opening violin solo played by Issac Stern over the credits. It's stunning.
Wednesday I was left home alone for the first time so I indulged in not one but two romantic comedies. Love Actually and Strictly Ballroom. The first was better than I remembered. The second may well be the only good film Baz Luhrmann ever makes. And I make this bold statement without having seen Australia and with no plans to ever do so.
Thursday I watched the fabulous documentary on the ABC about music and the brain. There were also some episodes of the IT Crowd and The Good Life. Both are classic comedies which I can watch over and over again. And Friday I watched Life on Mars which I am ashamed to say I have never seen before but I am love love loving. I also rewatched Chicago. I don't normally like Richard Gere in anything but he does a pretty good job as Billy Flynn and Catherine Zeta Jones and Renee Zwellwegger are impressive. It's such a good musical.
I am yet to start reading anything more interesting than facebook and twitter. Shantaram looms large on my bedside table. I just can't bring myself to pick it up yet. It's quite heavy and I can't lean it on my stomach. That's my excuse at the moment anyway.
Well here we are in the second week of Operation Recuperation. For those of you who are unaware I have had an operation that removed a "whopping great thing"...in doctor's terms that is a cyst that from the evidence on the scales weighed between two and three kilos. I am four kilos lighter than when I went to hospital last Tuesday. I also no longer have a right ovary. Apparently, one is more than enough for all the things that ovaries are needed for. Apparently, I also have endometriosis which will require follow up treatment and control. Who knew? Not me? I thought I was pretty normal.
Anyway, here are some things that I have discovered I have been taking for granted: Sitting down without thinking about it Standing up without thinking about it Walking without thinking about it Getting into bed without thinking about it Getting out of bed without thinking about it Bending down to pick things up off the floor. I am becoming adept in using my toes to pick up items of clothing etc. Eating real food not classified as either "clear" or "free" fluid. Sleeping in any other position apart from on my back Lifting anything heavier than a pillow Wearing clothes that sit on my waist/hips etc Driving. It is not permitted for a month.
But, I hear you cry there must be some good things about having four weeks off work. Sure. I can now wear dresses without looking like I am pregnant. My stomach is flatter than it has been in years. Every morning my mother or father brings me a cup of tea and piece of toast in bed (I am staying with them for the moment). I get full control of the television. People bring me food when I ask for it. I don't have to eat at the table. I get first dibs on the recliner chair. I got lots of flowers, cards, chocolates, texts and visitors. And as we speak my mother is out buying me some new clothes.
For let the word ring out...there is no occasion that does not require new clothes. Ever.
INN530 – Reflection on learning
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Look! I get to write a reflection after all. Thanks Kate. The question is
“What are the most important, biggest, interesting or surprising learning
you wil...
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